(RNS) The issue of Playboy magazine that will start hitting newsstands Friday (Oct. 16) bears an image of a semi-nude Marge Simpson, the cartoon matriarch of “The Simpsons.”
The ploy is in part a tribute to the Fox Broadcasting Company show, which at 20 years is one of the longest-running television shows in history.
No matter that Marge Simpson is neither really nude nor, well, real, some people are not happy to see her on the racy magazine’s cover.
The American Family Association, which calls itself “an outspoken, resolute, Christian voice,” is asking 7-Eleven stores to reconsider their decision to sell the issue.
“Pornography promotes a hedonistic lifestyle that is often highly addictive, harmful to marriages and influences anti-social and sometimes criminal behavior,” AFA says. “In the eyes of most women, pornography is degrading and highly offensive.”
7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris at the corporate office in Dallas, said the company has no plans to carry Playboy on a regular basis. “It is not a recommended item for company stores,” she said, adding that franchise stores are independent contractors and some carry Playboy. “We thought the Simpson issue would make nice collectibles. We’re not requiring the stores take it.”
She added that the magazines are being shipped in plastic wrappers so underage customers can’t peek inside.
But just seeing the cover will do damage, the AFA said. “It’s irresponsible of 7-Eleven to display porn in front of boys who pop into 7-Elevens for a hot dog or a Slurpee,” Randy Sharp, AFA special projects director, said in a statement Thursday. “A cartoon is going to be appealing to a child. Playboy and 7-Eleven and Fox are allowing that to happen,” he said.By T.W. Burger
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